Application, Acceptance and Registration Process

The Externship Program allows eligible upper-division law students to receive academic credit for externships they secure with established law firms, corporate legal departments, non-profit organizations, government agencies, or judges. Through the Externship Program, students receive practical, hands-on experience as part of their school education. Students enroll and participate in civil, criminal, or judicial externship course while simultaneously learning in the field at their placement. Students may earn both pay and credit at qualifying placements. 

Application Process

For Civil, Judicial, Criminal, and TAAP externships, you must do the following:

  1. Secure a placement first.
  2. Spring 2026 externship applications will open shortly. The deadline to apply for Spring 2026 externships is December 1st.  Please contact Prof. Wang if you received an offer after the deadline to see if it is still possible to add the class. Summer 2026 applications will open later in the spring semester, after the add-drop deadline. 
  3. You may join the in-house counsel program by applying here if you have your own placement. If you need help finding a placement, see below for deadlines and instructions.
  4. The Externship Programs Office will review your application and send a tentative approval if appropriate. Then, the Externship Programs Office will contact your supervisor with the information you provided and request your supervisor fill out the Bay Area Consortium in Externships (BACE) Site Supervisor Agreement. 
  5. If your employer has not hosted a USF student before, your employer must complete the Request for Approval of Agency for Civil/Criminal Law Externship Program, which can be found at the end of the Bay Area Consortium on Externships (BACE) Site Supervisor Agreement (linked above).  Any tentative approval is contingent upon your employer being approved. This is not applicable for judicial and TAAP externs.
  6. If you are requesting to extern at a placement where you have already worked, interned, volunteered, or externed, you will need to complete the Petition for Repeat Civil/Criminal Law Externship, which is included at the end of the Student Application. Your supervisor will also be requested to answer a question regarding your request, which will be emailed separately to your supervisor.

For the Spring 2026 In-House Counsel Externship you must do the following: 

  1. Please apply here by October 15th if you would like help finding a placement. Students who plan to find their own in-house counsel placements may apply by December 1. If you have your own placement, you may apply using the method above.
  2. The Externship Programs Office will provide assistance in finding a placement.
  3. Students must a submit final cover letter and resume to externships@usfca.edu by October 15th. Student resumes and cover letters will be submitted to partnering placements. 
  4. Partner placements will interview students and let students know their decision by the end of November. 
  5. Students will begin their externships at the start of spring semester.
  6. Please note that some students may not be placed with a partner agency due to partner availability and preference.

For the Spring 2026 Housing Justice Externship you must do the following: 

  1. Please apply here by November 1st if you would like to join the new housing justice program. 
  2. Students must a submit final cover letter and resume to externships@usfca.edu by November 1st. Student resumes and cover letters will be submitted to Open Door Legal for review. 
  3. Open Door Legal will interview students and let students know their decision by the end of November. 
  4. Students will begin their externships at the start of spring semester.

For the Spring 2026 Federal Tax Externship you must do the following: 

  1. Please apply here by November 1st if you would like to join the new federal tax program. 
  2. Students must a submit final cover letter and resume to externships@usfca.edu by November 1st. Student resumes and cover letters will be submitted to the professor for review. 
  3. The professor will interview students and let students know their decision by the end of November. 
  4. Students will begin their externships at the start of spring semester.
  5. Please note - this class is limited to four students, and will be held in the South Bay.

If you have questions, come by the Externship Programs Office in Kendrick Hall 339. You may also email externships@usfca.edu.

Acceptance and Registration Process

After your externship application is submitted, the Externship Programs Office reviews your application, and gives a tentative approval, denial, or asks you to supplement your application.

After review, the Externship Programs Office will send you an email notification, letting you know whether you have been tentatively accepted into the program.

After tentative approval, the Externship Programs Office will contact your supervisor with the information you provided and request your supervisor fill out their portion of the application, Bay Area Consortium on Externships (BACE) Site Supervisor Agreement.

Assuming your employer is approved and timely completes their portion of the application materials, you will receive an acceptance email with the CRN allowing you to register. Once receiving your CRN, students must register for the course before the add deadline.

Students will likely not know whether their application has been approved at the time of registration. Accordingly, students should register for classes as if they were not taking an externship course. After acceptance into the program, students can add the externship course during the add/drop period.